Here's the Lou Reed story.
Summer of 1996 I was 20 and a friend got me a daytime bartending gig at the Wequasset Inn on Cape Cod. I wasn't even old enough to drink myself, but it wasn't a very busy bar during the day so no one on the bar staff wanted the shift. I didn't care about the money, I just wanted the experience for future opportunities.
Middle of the afternoon on a midweek day in September the bar is totally empty and in walks Lou with some woman and asks to sit on the veranda and to bring him an ash tray. The Wequasset is an extremely high brow resort and even in 1996 had a no smoking policy in public areas. I seat Lou and say I'll be right back. I ring my boss who was in his 60s at the time and a huge music fan. I ask if I can give a guest an ash tray. He says absolutely not. I say what if it is Lou Reed? He says bull shit. I said I'm dead serious. He goes through a storage closet and finds an ash tray and comes up and hand delivers it himself and says if anyone else shows up, I'll have to ask you to refrain from smoking. No one else did end up showing up.
Lou probably cranked a half pack of butts in the two hours he sat out there with his guest. When he's ready to leave, I bring him the check and I say, "I hate to be that guy, but you look exactly like Lou Reed." It was 100% him. He says, "Yeah, I get that a lot" and proceeds to sign the check to his room, Lou Reed.
